By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — A 26-year-old city man faces numerous charges after a dramatic police chase that ended with a crash into a tree and a stone fencepost on Pleasant Street Tuesday evening.

According to Pawtucket Police, Patrol Officers Ryan Heise and David Medeiros were turning from West Avenue onto Main Street shortly after 5 p.m. when they observed a green Buick with two male occupants go through the red light and almost strike the police cruiser. Medeiros recognized the driver, who is known to police from prior contact, as not having a driver’s license, and they began a pursuit.
The Buick went thought a stop sign at the intersection of West Avenue and then Pawtucket Avenue. Police said they observed the driver, identified as George C. Goncalves, throwing what appeared to be plastic baggies with some type of contents out of the driver’s side window.
With Heise and Medeiros in pursuit, Goncalves drove through the intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Lowden Street, turned onto Pidge Avenue and struck an unoccupied vehicle.
He continued east, through a stop sign at Dartmouth Street, then past East Avenue to Ridge Street. On Ridge Street, Goncalves went through a stop sign at Raleigh Avenue, almost striking three pedestrians that were crossing the roadway, according to police.
While rounding a corner at Newman Avenue, Goncalves struck another parked vehicle in front of 10 Newman Ave., which caused him to lose control. The Buick then struck a tree near 3 Oak Hill Ave., crossed over Pleasant Street, and struck a stone fencepost at 724 Pleasant St.
Police said both Goncalves and his passenger, identified as Aris A. Batista, exited the vehicle and fled, with Goncalves headed north on Pleasant Street and Batista headed south.
With Heise and Medeiros chasing him on foot, Goncalves ran up the driveway of 713 Pleasant St., where he leaped onto a woodpile and then jumped over a stockade fence into the rear yard of 3 Oak Hill Ave. Heise said he saw Goncalves climb on top of the fence and jump feet first through a window at 713 Pleasant St.
Heise said Goncalves’ legs were inside the window and his torso was outside. He said he grabbed Goncalves shirt and pulled him out of the window, where he fell backwards onto the woodpile.
Heise said Goncalves then got up and began swinging at Heise and Medeiros, and at one point, picked up a wooden log and threw it at Medeiros, narrowly missing him.
Using pepper spray and batons, the officers were eventually able to take Goncalves into custody.
In the meantime, Officer Mario Comella apprehended Batista, who is also accused of fighting with the officer, and he was taken into custody.
Goncalves, of 47 Hope St., 1st, was transported to the Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in the fall and the scuffle with police. He was later charged with reckless driving, break and entering a dwelling when the resident is home, driving without a license, failure to obey traffic control devices, resisting arrest, and two counts of assault of police officers.
Batista, of 320 Mineral Spring Ave., #17, Pawtucket, as charged with simple assault on a police officer and resisting arrest, police said.
Polly Stiles, the owner of the property where Goncalves crashed the Buick, said that speeding vehicles are an ongoing problem in the Oak Hill neighborhood. She noted that there are a lot of families with young children and people who walk their dogs, and said many of the neighbors are concerned about safety.
Stiles noted that Tuesday’s incident was also a frightening one for her neighbor, who was home when Goncalves came crashing through a window. She also estimated that she has to fix something on her property “at least once a year” that is the result of someone speeding and losing control.
Stiles said that she and other neighbors intend to address the topic at the next meeting of the Oak Hill Neighborhood Association, and want to urge city officials to do something about the speeders. She said she considers the area to be “a lovely neighborhood.” However, she added, “This one hit too close to home. It was just by the grace of God that somebody wasn’t killed.”